Mountain Standard Lightweight Hoodie

Review by Sara Aranda

I’ve been using this hoodie every day since it showed up in the mail. It’s incredibly comfortable, particularly due to its brushed fleece. The outer fleece is smooth, which makes it easy to layer with, and the sleeve ends have thumb holes. Other features include a high neck for additional warmth, a longer back hem for extra coverage, and a fitted hood stretchy enough to fit over a helmet. I’m very much in love with this practical yet stylish mid-layer.

The first weekend I had it my husband and I hiked down into Dream Canyon. The morning was brisk but the hoodie was all I needed for the trek to the Plotinus wall from Upper Canyon, which entails a steep descent, a few river crossings, and mild scrambling. It was one of those days where the weather was either sunny or on the brink of rain. Thankfully, I didn’t have to don and doff the hoodie as it regulated my core temperature very well; and even when I started to sweat on the hike down or while climbing, it breathed well enough to not get sticky or overbearing. On the hike out, I even purposefully wanted to get my sweat on to see if it would smell after one full day of use. It passed without a trace of odor and I left it on while I slept in my sleeping bag that night to see how it would fare rolling around in. In a strange way, you almost forget you’re wearing a sweater, it’s so comfortable.

After a few short runs I found the hoodie to work best the colder the temps – I would even recommend this hoodie for winter running, honestly, when it’s cold enough to wear a long sleeve the entire time. When the temperature is in the 40s and 50s, I only last ten minutes before pulling it off and tying it around my waist; but it serves its purpose to keep my core warm until the cardio kicks in.

Besides outdoor activity, this hoodie has also become my at-home lounge sweater. Living above 7,000’ the days can still be cold, and if you’re like me and you hate paying for heat, I’m definitely wearing it while I work at my desk or stretch or mull about the yard.

Pros:

• Comfort
• Length
• High neck

Cons:

• While I like the high neck, I also wish it had a small zipper or button to undo when you’re huffing up a hill and you want to vent, or, if you have your hood up, to keep fabric from riding over your mouth.
• Sizing wise, I have the small, but I’m considering downsizing. The website says true to size AND recommended downsizing for slimmer fit – which to me doesn’t necessarily mean true to size. If anything, I would agree that it runs large.

We’ll have to see how durability is in the long run – so far, so good, but some tiny fuzz balls started showing up on the cuff binding after one week. Overall it’s technical, but heavier than say the Patagonia R1, so it’s more so something to just wear and be comfortable in for non, mild, or moderate activity. So, if there’s ever a casual trip where I want a quality layer, the MS Lightweight Hoodie is definitely getting shoved into my pack.

Visually inclined? I go over the hoodie in this video.